For the next couple of years, Blake worked on all aspects of the marriage. It outlined work that Lori had done for him until 1988. But to a dogged federal investigator, she is "Jane Doe," a Texas mother who killed herself three years ago in her family's driveway after spending decades using stolen identities to erase a past that remains mired in mystery. The letter failed to mention crucial details such what was her role and responsibilities. She had ended her life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Velling agreed to help identify her as a case of identify theft. When Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff took her own life on Christmas Eve, 2010 in Longview, Texas, she took with her all of the secrets of her true identity. Included among theitems was a sealed lockbox buried deep in Loriscloset. In the box a number of documents were discovered which revealed that Ruff had stolen the identity of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl killed in a fire in 1971 in . [6], Ruff was "extremely protective" of her daughter, often refusing to let anyone else hold her and even taking the baby with her to use the bathroom. For years, it was nothing but a series of dead ends. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. Prior to that, she was known as Becky Sue Turner, an identity forged with the birth certificate of a long-dead child. Both fingerprints and DNA testing turned up nothing to help get to the bottom of her true identity. However, several weeks after getting the new identification, Becky legally changed her identity to Lori Erica Kennedy in Dallas. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. All rights reserved. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. She had told him she was from Arizona, that both her parents were dead, and that she had no siblings. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices. All rights reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Related: A Killer Calls: The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. Within the next two years, she obtained the birth certificate of Becky Sue Turner, a two-year-old girl who had died with her two sisters in a house fire in 1971. Lori kept to herself, rarely speaking Finally, in 2008, the pair had a daughter, conceived with in vitro fertilization. Lori Erica Ruff (born Kimberly McLean, October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010) was a woman who took her own life while living in Longview, Texas. On December 24, 2010, the body of Lori Erica Ruff was found in her car parked in the driveway of the Ruff family's Texas home. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. When problems became too difficult for him to continue, Blake finally accepted that their marriage wasnt working and subsequently moved out of the home they shared. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 - December 24, 2010), was an American identity thief who remained unidentified for nearly six years after her death. She would regularly be seen with her in some of her favorite tea shops. In the box a number of documents were discovered which revealed that Ruff had stolen the identity of Becky Sue Turner, a 2-year-old girl killed in a fire in 1971 in Fife, Washington, in 1988, and then changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Be the first to contribute! Different cultures define matrimony in different ways and tie the knot for various reasons. Lori Erica Ruff went by many names. "My God, that's Kimberly!," one Pennsylvania relative exclaimed, the Seattle Times reported. [6] The article was subsequently republished in numerous newspapers around the world. She also began sending harassing e-mails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody hearing, and stole a set of house keys from them. In the car were two suicide notes: an 11-page one addressed to "my wonderful husband" and another addressed to her daughter, to be opened on her 18th birthday. The tension between the Ruffs continued to grow as the new grandparents were rebuffed from visits. I find her case fascinating, especially in a post-9/11 world where there are so many avenues for identifying individuals. We cover everything from big time serial killers (and those you may never have heard of), to hauntings, possessions, disturbing mysteries, bizarre whodunits and basically anything that tickles our creepy fancy. She also began sending harassing emails to the Ruffs, created a scene at a custody exchange, and stole a set of house keys from them. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. Apparently, after Becky Sue Turner perished, a woman turned up and requested a copy of the birth certificate. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Lori's husband, Blake Ruff, was devastated. However, the Mclean family now has a granddaughter who offers a glimpse of their beloved Kimberly. Blake's mom, Nancy Ruff, described facing a stone wall. [1] She eventually graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, with a degree in Business Administration. Review our. Or, maybe she was none of them. Whilethe file on Lori Erica Ruff may be closed, her bizarre case continues to fascinate, and will forever raise thechillingquestion: Just how well do you know those closest to you? When Blake met Lori, she went by the name of "Lori Erica Kennedy." [7] She eventually gave birth to a baby girl via in vitro fertilisation in 2008. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. Les currently resides in London and is a freelance writer with a long standing passion for the unexplained and paranormal. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. How had their marriage fallen apart? After several months living as Becky Sue Turner, she legally changed her name to Lori Kennedy. Follows Toni, who has a complete breakdown and ends up in a mental facility after the unexpected news that her husband was murdered, and even she is a suspect. In the car were two suicide notes: One 11page note addressed to "my wonderful husband" and another addressed to her daughter, to be opened on her 18th birthday. Using a DNA analysis from Ruffs daughter, investigators were able to trace Ruffs identity back to a family in Pennsylvania, whose daughter had disappeared in 1986, when she was 17. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. When Lori Erica Kennedy took her own life, she left behind evidence that she'd stolen another's identity. Sources She was sending deranged emails to the Ruffs. A 2013 Seattle Times feature article about the case was published in news outlets around the world and created enormous interest in the online "websleuth" community. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And when asked about her days in high school, she said she skipped it and went straight to college. The Varangians: Viking Conquerors turned Byzantium Honor Guard, The Secret Necropolis of Ancient Varna and the First Goldsmiths. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Ruff did his best to find out as much about his new partner as he could. Whatever the motivation behind one man entering wedlock to one woman, both parties usually do know each other intimately. Accept Read More, Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. ", "Texas woman's true identity baffles ex-husband, authorities years after her suicide", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. It is generally believed that a new identity was already being considered either for herself or others. The Bizarre Truth About Lori Ruff, The Woman Without An Identity. [3], The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Related: Girl in the Green Mac: The Baffling, Unsolved Disappearance of Sheila Fox. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher. The truth of Ruff's deception only came to light after she committed suicide, and some determined investigators began looking into . But all that he managed to discover was that Lori had something of a difficult upbringing. If Lori was trying to escape her past, then it could explain her reluctance for publicity. Her mothers remarriage didnt help either and she told her family she was going away. But nobody in the world knew Lori Erica Ruff. Investigators wondered if she had been a KGB agent, or if she had been in the military and gone AWOL. [5], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? In 2013, a nuclear-physicist-turned-forensic genealogist Collen Fitzpatrick worked on Ruffs case and new details emerged about her past. Papers belonging to Ruff, who had been married with a child, surfaced after her suicide indicating she had once been known as Lori Kennedy, and prior to that, as Becky Sue Turner, the name of a young girl who had died in a Washington state fire in 1971. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas.After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. I think she was born sometime between 1960 and 1968., Records gathered by Velling provide tantalizing clues. In the box, which she told her husband never to touch, were all the documents exposing her elaborate ruse the paperwork showing the name change and the application for a Social Security number, among other receipts. But this could have simply been a number picked for convenience purposes only. The nature of these scribblings led some followers of the case to believe that Ruff was trying to avoid prison time, due to the references to police, a possible jail-term length, and the name of Ben Perkins, a Los Angeles attorney. In 2003 McLean met Jon Blakely "Blake" Ruff, the son of a socially prominent family in East Texas,[8][6] in a Bible study class. There were no dates and the letter itself was a little vague. In the days that followed, Blake tried to make sense of how things had gone so wrong. And she did it all pre-InternetShe may have done this on her own, but its possible she sought out one of these identity brokers.. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. She told them her parents were dead and that she had no living siblings or extended family. When a woman known as Lori Erica Ruff died in Texas three years ago, she left behind a mystery that has investigators baffled. The response? Or, Lori Erika Kennedy? In May of 2016, several commentators on the internet noticed similarities to Ruff's story and to the plot of a 1987 crime drama called Positive I.D., which was directed by a professor of film at UT Arlington. Upon opening the container, Blakediscovered why: Inside was a birth certificate and IDs belonging to several different people. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices. In 1986, Kimberly McLean ran away from her home at the age of 18. Colleen Fitzpatrick, a former nuclear physicist who created[citation needed] the field of forensic genealogy, learned of Lori Ruff in 2013 and began work on the case. With each question she asked, Lori deflected, the Seattle Times reported. [7] The couple eloped in January 2004 after Nancy Ruff, Blake's mother, inquired about placing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper. Lori Erica Kennedy Ruff (October 16, 1968 December 24, 2010), was an American identity thief[3] whose true identity remained unknown for nearly six years after her death. [4] She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986,[5] because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. A Net Inceptions project. Hair pulled from the woman's head had skin on it that helped forensic investigators learn she had one of the genes associated with coronary artery disease. Lori acquired Becky Turners birth certificate in 1988. The house belonged to his parents and it was his father who discovered her [] The post Lori Erica Ruff 93 Generation Why appeared first on The Generation Why Podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Lori Erica Ruff was the alias of an unidentified American woman and identity thief who committed suicide on December 24, 2010 in Longview, Texas. Perhaps Lori was creating parents for the benefit of Blake. [3] The fact that Ruff was able to cover up her identity so well in a time before the Internet has led to speculation that she had visited an "identity broker".[3]. His letter contained pages of incoherent rambling. Legal Statement. [1], Fitzpatrick informed Joe Velling, who had in the meantime retired from the SSA. She was very private and didn't open to people about her past. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. On Christmas Eve 2010, the body of 42-year-old Lori Erica Ruff was found in acar parked outside the Rufffamily home in Longview, Texas. During all of this, Blake continued in his efforts to pry more details from the mother of his baby. RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. Mother and child spent a lot of time together, which is normal for such a doting mother. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd-sourced investigation into Ruffs background began after the paper ran a story on her in 2013. In July 1988, she moved to Dallas, where, according to court documents, she legally changed her name to Lori Erica Kennedy. At the time of this application, Lori quoted her age as 19. Real Life is Horror. And she had no accent, leading Velling to believe she originally came from the Pacific Northwest or West Coast. She wasn't Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. [3], On Christmas Eve 2010, Ruff's body was discovered in her car in the Ruffs' driveway, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. ", "Three years after Texas woman's suicide, a question lingers: Who was she? Lori Erica Ruff's true identity was Kimberly McLean. As with the birth certificate, it was relatively straight forward to acquire a new social security number. She then moved to Idaho and obtained a driver's license using Becky's birth certificate, according to news.com.au. After some failed marriage therapy meetings, Blake Ruff moved back to his parents' house in Longview and filed for divorce, leaving Lori with their daughter in Leonard. Lori would also spend time fidgeting and stare at the palms and back of her hands. [2] She would also obsessively track the Ruffs' family history and try to find out their family recipes, but still refused to talk about her past. This page was last modified on 5 May 2016, at 17:33. Some people can explain all of this with nothing more sinister than the Witness Protection Program. "True identity of Lori Ruff revealed six years after she committed suicide", "After 30 Years, Lori Ruff's True Identity Finally Revealed", "5 Creepy-As-Hell Stories Of Real People With No Identity", "She stole another's identity, and took her secret to the grave. This is a true crime podcast that spares none of the details and delves into what makes these killers tick. Synopsis IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. She left behind an 11-page suicide note but apparently no clue that she had lived a secret life. After she died, her ex-husband's family discovered a lockbox in a closet in her home. The local police department began a routine investigation and quickly found a safe at the bottom of a closet. She suffered a miscarriage before eventually giving birth to a baby girl in 2008. In 2010, after she took her own life, secrets were revealed and the truth about her past began to unravel. While the hotel was genuine and a favored haunt of numerous celebrities, there was no trace of the author. Or at least they should. The other was for Blake. She obtained this identity via a girl named Becky Sue Turner, who died in 1971 in a house fire near Seattle, Washington. On the West Coast, we generally dont have a discernible accent, said Velling, a Seattle native. 2010 42- , . [6], After getting married, the Ruffs moved to Leonard, Texas. Blake Ruff has admitted that he isn't completely sure what drew him to Lori. She wanted to live in her little cocoon.. The investigation into her suicide hit dead end after dead end. [9][6], After Lori's funeral, some of the Ruffs drove to Leonard to see if they could find out more about her in her house. With the help of investigator Joe Velling, he traced the DNA to a family in Pennsylvania. Southern charm is attempted but southern sass is bountiful. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. She wasnt Lori Erica Ruffshe was a Pennsylvania woman named Kimberly McLean. The suicide notes were quickly determined to be incoherent ramblings that offered no clues to Ruff's identity. In 2010, he moved back across the state to live with his parents. They married and had a daughter together. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares. [6] The Ruffs opened and read the letter, but it contained only "ramblings from a clearly disturbed person" and no details about Lori's past. [1] Velling approached a relative, who immediately identified the deceased Lori Ruff as Kimberly McLean.[1]. Lori attended the University of Texas regularly and graduated with a business administration degree in 1997. On Christmas Eve 2010, the body of 42-year-old Lori Erica Ruff was found in a car parked outside the Ruff family home in Longview, Texas. His recollection was that she was a dancer at a Dallas-area nightclub at the time [she was attending school], Velling said. Kimberly Maria McLean, a.k.a. Any time she got around the family, they would ask her questions and it was uncomfortable for her. Market data provided by Factset. She began to lose weight and attended counseling sessions held at the local church. Blake was caught in the middle, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. She and her young daughter had visibly lost weight. As many of you know, "Lori Ruff" is the assumed name of an otherwise anonymous woman who died in 2010. She was eventually identified as a native of suburban Philadelphia who left home at age 17, in the fall of 1986, because she did not get along with her mother and stepfather. Within the next two years, she . [3], In 2003, she met Blake Ruff, the son of a well-established family in East Texas,[2][3] in a Bible study class. [2] The writings on the paper found in the lockbox included the scribblings "North Hollywood police", "402 months", and "Ben Perkins", who turned out to be an attorney. Although questions about the case remain, Lori Ruff's name has now been removed from the federal government's database for missing and unidentified persons. Blake's parents were suspicious of Lori right from the beginning. A man who knew Ruff during this time has stated that she worked as a stripper in the early 1990s. Prior to marrying Blake, Loriwas known as Lori Erica Kennedy. In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Due to her off-putting[opinion][clarification needed], secretive[citation needed] behavior, she clashed with her husband's family, and her marriage eventually collapsed. The tall and slender brunette met Ruff at a bible study group and introduced herself as Lori Kennedy. NY Daily News 2021 Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. McLean assumed a series of aliases before marrying Blake Ruff in 2004 and settling downleaving no trace of Kimberly McLean, at least until Fitzpatrick began researching her family tree. They separated, but on Christmas Eve, 2010, the woman everyone knew as Lori Erica Ruff pulled into the driveway of the Ruff family home and shot herself. [6] The fact that Ruff was able to cover up her identity so well in a time before the Internet has led to speculation that she had enlisted the services of a so-called identity broker.[6]. The contents of this safe put into sharp focus everything that Blake thought he knew about Lori Kennedy. It had the instructions to open on her 18th birthday. Although plenty of questions about the case still have not been answered, Lori Ruff's name was removed from the federal government's database of missing and unidentified persons. She received a Texas driver license in 1989 and qualified for a GED[8] the following year. But, it didn't happen easily and it took the hard work of a number of people and a little bit of luck to learn the truth.Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious Lori Erica Ruff. It must have been for some horrific reasoneither she was running away from a crime or an abusive family or relationship., She wanted a complete break from her past, said Velling. It is one thing to suspect Lori Erica Ruff of being a simple identity thief, but it is another thing to understand why. She obtained a Texas drivers license in 1989, listing her age as 19. Before 1988, Lori Erica Kennedy simply did not exist. He noticed the car and called the police. All of that work by the investigators traced several links back in the history of Lori Ruff's false identities, but they still didn't know who she really was. So, it was granted without question. Ruff gradually acquired more documents in her new name, including a Social Security number. Related: Jeffrey Alan Lash: His Remarkable Mystery. In addition, there were no matches for the woman in any existing fingerprint and facial recognition databases. When asked about her background,Lori was guarded and evasive; she claimed her parents were dead and she had no siblings. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Lori began to complain to Blake about his parents whenever she was even mildly inconvenienced. After Lori Erica Ruff's death, Blake Ruff realized his wife was a complete stranger. Lori definitely was not who she portrayed herself to be, so who was she? [3], Eventually, Ruff did not want her in-laws to have any contact with her daughter. Lori acquired Turner's birth certificate in 1988, a time when you could just send a letter requesting a birth certificate with little resistance. Market data provided by Factset. At some point in the past, Lori had been a dancer at an exclusive gentlemans club, and a post-mortem examination revealed that Lori, not Becky, had received breast implants.